Squanto brought this up yesterday in the gameday thread, about how the Sabres need to win 57% of their remaining games to hit last year's 8th place point total of 88. The 57% comes from the 40-30 record we'd need in the remaining 70 games to hit that mark.

I think considering the team's play lately, that seems like more of a stretch than it actually is. Last season, the top five eastern conference playoff teams all hit that mark, and Boston (56%), Philadelphia (52%) and Montreal (54%) weren't far behind.

The point is that it isn't going to take some Herculean effort to get the Sabres into the playoffs after the shitty start. In order to be a playoff team, they merely need to play like one. Easier said than done though.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

They simply need to figure something out... i dont know what that something is... but it needs to be something and quick...

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The issue is the team is not all that great without Miller playing at the top of his game. Look at the Capitals, they don't have great goal tending but they'll manage to win games. The reason why, they have massive amount offense. That is what the Sabres lack. No doubt the goalie situation is why the have issues in the playoffs but they are a Stanley cup calibre team once they get the goalie situation straightened out.

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eh, i don't think the sabres lack a scoring offense. I just think they are stuck with a scoring line that's getting unlucky.

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The reason I make this point is that they have to start hitting those numbers TODAY. They can't keep this losing streak up, or they dig themselves farther into the hole. They don't seem to show any signs of turning it around, which makes the job that much tougher.

I wouldn't say they're unlucky as much as they are still inconsistent. You have to admit that stanley cup contenders have consistent scoring. The Sabres haven't had consistency in the scoring department in years. They have no "go to" scorer

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maybe a bit to much line shuffling? Maybe a lil miss use with some players (Ennis in the bottom six)... maybe try a few consistent lines? some one had some great lines in the gdt last night that i wouldnt mind seeing...

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Yeah, I wasn't calling you out or anything, I just wanted to take that 57% and figure out what it actually meant, and how realistic it was.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I know.

It's a realistic goal if the team is playing well. Since they're not, it might as well be 87%.

Well, if we don't have at least a .500 record on Nov.30, we're pretty much done...

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."

Every team goes through a bad stretch like this, so it's not as though I am getting the feeling for the season slipping away from us. It's just as of now, I'm having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... But if the Sabres can pick it up and play up to the caliber that I know they can play to, there is no reason why they can't get right back into the mix of things. But they need to get their shit together and I don't know what is wrong.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

What's deceiving is the parity in the East last year that allowed a team with only 88 points to get the 8th spot. Generally, since the lockout, you've needed between 92-94 points to secure 8th.

It's not likely that log-jam in the East will be repeated this year, so you should recalculate your figures based on needing 92 at the least for 8th.

Also, I do not view this team's current play as a slump. To do that, you have to establish a pattern of good play for the current play to be compared to. They have not done that.

Problem is, whether some want to acknowledge it or not, this team does not have talented enough players to go far. They just don't. Every team can make the excuses made for this bunch, but the better teams overcome that stuff (posts, refs, injuries, etc.).

The core of this team needs to a lot better and the guys who are the core right now do not have it in them.

I KNEW someone would say that and I'm not buying it. There is simply no way to say for certain what the standings will look like come April. The only thing you can do is make a comparison to the most recent data, which is (shocker) last year. There have been plenty of years where 88 points has made the playoffs and plenty of years where it has not. Since it happened twice, last year, I used that number for my comparison.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

I truly believe that because Miller is not playing at the top of his game it is showing the major weaknesses this team has. The "core" players were able to phone it in for the last couple years because Miller would mask their mediocre performances by making inhuman saves and (at time) single handedly winning games when the team didn't show up.

I am not blaming Miller. He's human and will have rough times. He is going through one right now but the team isn't backing him up. They are still trying to play this mediocre hockey and getting their asses handed to them on a daily basis.

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You KNEW someone would point out facts?

Okay.

As far as plenty of years: SInce the lockout there has only been ONE year where you didn't need at least 92 points. Last year, correct. Still, it was the exception not the norm. if you wanna hang your hopes on that fine, but I'm being realistic.

Well, unless we are able to get our shit together in the next week or so, I think it's time to start selling "pieces" and get some value, build toward the future. We cant be 6-20-5 and expect to do anything beyond that. If we lose 5 in a row, we have to look at atleast making a change behind the bench. It worked out pretty good for Chicago last year. Bring in a guy or promote James Patrick. This "Lindy Ruff System" doesn't work with our roster, and he refuses to adjust it. It's not the fact the players aren't willing to play the system, it's just the players on our team, are not built to play the system. We have tons of offensive talent, and too many "small, skill" players to play a completely defensive oriented system.

Lindy Ruff's system is the problem with this roster. We spend too much time worrying about defense, not enough time worrying about scoring. Say what you want, but it takes way more energy to play defense than offense, and notice how we are just not able to pour it on, and let people come back in games. We simply get a goal or two, and spend the rest of the game playing trap hockey. We flat out aren't physical enough, and aren't tough enough to do that.

I understand hockey is a tough game, and you have to be physical, but you can't get guys like Roy, Pomminville, Vanek, Connolly, Stafford, Gerbe, Ennis, Leopold, Sekera, and Butler to change their play style, thats over half our skaters. We need to adjust the system, not our players games, especially since they have all been playing that way for several years.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

I demand a statistical competition. Who can get the stats to back up their claims?

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Well he's right, 90 or above has been the cutoff more often than 88 or below, I just don't see the point in saying that's going to be the case again this year especially when two teams made the playoffs with 88 points last year. It's great and all that 90 has been the cutoff has been more often, but this year's teams are most similar to last years teams and so I chose to use them rather than pull a number out of my ass and call it fact.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

For what it's worth, the Thrashers and Penguins are on pace for 89 (89.45) and 89 (88.83) pts respectively.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

CV I see your point. It's early enough that anything can still happen.

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